Raising a boy can cost £12,000 more than a girl because of their rough and
tumble lifestyles, a new report into the Cost of Children claims today.

New research shows that on average parents will spend a staggering £99,968 on their child from birth through to the age of 11, across everything from food to schooling, clothes, holidays and childcare.

But the report from Halifax Bank, based on a survey of 1,000 parents, shows that boys cost an average of £105,963 compared with £93,016 for girls.

The bank put the difference down to the extra school uniform, sports kit and even furniture needed for boys because of "wear and tear".

Halifax said: "Boys are more likely than girls to need items of uniform replacing more frequently due to wear and tear than girls, and with a greater number of extra curricular sports favoured by boys, the cost of buying and replacing the kit for these can add up."

The average cost of raising a child is almost £10,000 higher than an initial estimate by Halifax last year. Childcare accounts for 40 per cent of the bill, followed by holidays, food and schooling.

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Martin Ellis, Halifax housing economist, said: "These are very high figures and surprised us. It just shows the pressure families are under.

"The prospect of having to find almost £100,000 to cover the costs of each child until they reach secondary school will be extremely daunting for the vast majority.

"Ensuring that people can plan ahead as far as possible to try and budget for this cost could help ease the additional financial burden once children arrive."

Last month Halifax claimed boys receive more pocket money than girls, typically £6.67 a week compared with £6.32. Its Cost of Children report show London is the most expensive place to bring up children, an annual cost of £15,347, followed by Wales.

Childcare costs range from £6,000 a year for 2 to 4 year-olds in London to as low as £2,117 a year for 9 to 11 year-olds in the South-West of England.

Last month, a joint study found that costs associated with raising children were increasing four times as fast as earnings. The study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Child Poverty Action Group said the minimum cost to a couple of caring for a child until they turn 18 stood at £148,105.